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SWEET! More Clones coming!

The red Clone Trooper was originally supposed to be all white. The deco change was a little last-minute, and there will be several Clones in the future for all of us figure fans out there. The first new one is a Yellow Clone Trooper Pilot. It comes with a Gun Pod that's actually missing from the upcoming Republic Gunship toy, and it snaps right on the finished toy. If you buy two pilots, you've got your vehicle fully armed and ready to fly. Next, there's a Deluxe Clone Trooper that will come with some sort of Swoop/Speeder Bike vehicle.

Good Lords, that website is sucktaculerly slow. Won't load at all for me, someone wanna please post the info from there for me? Thanks for the heads up Battle Droid, sounds like some pretty intresting news over there. Now if I could only get it to load.

While Hasbro had much to show at its giant booth at Celebration II, they didn't have much to say at the Q&A sessions or at the various booths... but a lot was revealed to this roving reporter. From new Clone Troopers to a treasure of news on running changes and other trivia, figure fans are in for a treat with this, the very first update in our Celebration II coverage.
Please note if no release date is given, we do not have this information at the present. Also, as these items are still in development, there are no photographs for this story. Future Celebration II stories will have a full compliment of photography.

Also please note that we talk about features of the action figures released thus far-- if you consider the fact that some figures have arms that get sliced off a major spoiler, don't read this update.

Clone Troopers Present and Future
The red Clone Trooper was originally supposed to be all white. The deco change was a little last-minute, and there will be several Clones in the future for all of us figure fans out there. The first new one is a yellow Clone Trooper Pilot. It comes with a Gun Pod that's actually missing from the upcoming Republic Gunship toy, and it snaps right on the finished toy. If you buy two pilots, you've got your vehicle fully armed and ready to fly. Next, there's a Deluxe Clone Trooper that will come with some sort of Swoop/Speeder Bike vehicle.
For the uninitiated, Hasbro has actually started to go out of its way to put extras for vehicles with the figures, and vice-versa. The new Slave I comes with a hole in its cockpit for Jango/Boba's rocket pack, so it hangs up on the back wall. Also, the Jedi Starfighter has a small hole for a radar dish to be placed, and this little extra will be packaged with the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi (Starfighter Pilot)

Variant Heads, Redeco Droids, and POTJ Figures Returning to Saga
Looks like fans are going to be in for many a variation, and they all sound pretty nifty this time around. First, the newly released Endor Rebel Soldier will come with one of two heads. The current incarnation has a bearded visage modeled after legendary Kenner/Hasbro toymaker Mark Boudreaux, whose name you might recognize from Stephen Sansweet's killer Star Wars: From Concept To Screen To Collectible book. The second head's origin is unknown, but it will make up 50% of the figure's entire run. According to Hasbro reps at the show, as soon as they reach the 50% mark, they switch heads. So look for that in future assortments. For the curious, both versions of the figure have a removable helmet.
The Battle Droid (Arena Battle) definitely has a red version on the way-- apparently the character is red in the film, and Hasbro called the factory to make a running change as soon as they found out. Expect to see this one relatively soon. Production numbers are unknown, as are percentages.

The Magnets have been a bit of an issue so far. Aside from weak magnets in figures' hands not doing much good as far as play value is concerned, some are downright weak, like Anakin Skywalker: Hangar Duel. In the future, Hasbro is considering fusing the arm together so it doesn't come off due to kids thinking it might be broken. Currently, Zam Wessel has one of the stronger magnets that will most likely be used for future magnet figures-- and hers works amazingly well.

The variant heads of the Imperial Officer and Rebel Trooper have been designed, but with the demise of Power of the Jedi, their fate is still undetermined. Hasbro is considering releasing these and perhaps a few other harder-to-find POTJ figures on the current blue Saga cards by year's end to satiate fans who missed figures like FX-7 and army builders interested in new versions of the existing army builders.

The backgrounds were an early part of the Saga packaging and have since been dropped. Apparently, while designers love them, they tend to curl up in the packaging and look a little funny. Rather than reworking them, they've been dropped. Other than the first 16 figures, they also appear with Jorg Sacul. So that's the end of the backgrounds, folks.

Cinema Scenes are likely to make a return in 2003, in the blue Saga packaging. One being considered is a Jedi Council set.

C-3PO (Protocol Droid, #0204) apparently doesn't appear in the new movie in his toy form-- a sequence with his panels being added has been allegedly cut. C-3PO now joins Floppy Hat Luke and Episode I R2-D2 in the Cut Footage Figure list.

Assortments, Rare Figures
Complaints of Count Dooku and Yoda being tough to find in some regions have reached Hasbro and they now plan on shipping these figures for a longer period of time. These figures are still shipping, so they're still not rare by any means of the word, and since more are coming, they won't be rare, ever.
As for Power of the Jedi figures from the end of the line like BoShek and Teebo, Hasbro is considering many of them for Quarter 3 or Quarter 4 releases in the Saga line. Time will tell.

Exclusives
Apparently the various lists we've been reading are only the tip of the iceberg-- other products are also up for consideration. While Hasbro would neither confirm nor deny the possibility of a Cloud Car for 2002, one has been on the backburner for a future release for some time now. Word has it-- unofficial word-- that it's been in preproduction for at least two years.
The Star Wars Fan Club has been shipped its Imperial Stormtrooper Army Builder Set and it's likely to go on sale any day now. $19.99 for non-members, $17.99 for members. It includes 4 figures (the CommTech version without the damage blast mark), 2 rifles, and 2 pistols. A Rebel Trooper version is said to be in the works for year's end.

FAO's Imperial Shuttle has not been officially granted as an exclusive yet. While $125 is a likely price point and December seems to be when it would come out, the quantity of the item has yet to be determined, mainly because FAO does not officially have this item just yet.

While completely mum on Wal-Mart's Night Club Alien Packs, we did get a little-- very little-- info on the Cantina packs. The figures will consist of both new and old tooling, meaning that you will recognize at least some parts of Momaw Nadon (Hammerhead), Greedo, and/or Ponda Baba (Walrus Man) . The one new figure, Kitik Keed'kak, should be all new. Each of the four figures should come with one of three sections of a Cantina playset, and the completed diorama will be smaller than the previously released paperboard Cantina from 1997.

Other New Figures
In addition to Aayla Secura, a blue skinned Twi'lek Jedi female from Attack of the Clones and some of the Dark Horse comics, there's a new R2-D2 with Booster Rockets. This time, they come out of his arms, like in the movie.
Aayla was shown with concept art-- she may have a base and joints that allow her to kick. She will also be given a "new" magnet that is expected to be significantly stronger than the current releases.

Of course, there's the new Fan's Choice poll, which went up and is going on through May 17. The first choice this time is Nym, a blue alien starship pilot seen in the Starfighter comics and games and at least one issue of Dark Horse Comics' Tales series. Next, there's Ralph McQuarrie's Stormtrooper design, which is fairly nifty and hopefully will pave the way for his early designs of Darth Vader and C-3PO. The Imperial Dignitary is next and expected to be the winner as fans have been clamoring for one for some time now. There's also a Rebel Soldier in Scout Trooper Disguise, which Hasbro said would not come with a removable helmet if produced. Lastly, there's fan fave General Rieekan, the commander at Hoth.

Select one of five excellent choices at starwars.hasbro.com.

While the Force/Blast Effects seem lacking in some current figures, more are on the way-- these should be a part of the line for quite some time.

Also, don't expect to see the Tonnika Sisters. Ever.

Other, Booth, etc.
Information on the booth, the poster, Jorg Sacul and more will be posted in a future update.

Originally posted by Battle Droid There's also a Rebel Soldier in Scout Trooper Disguise, which Hasbro said would not come with a removable helmet if produced.

Thanks for the news Battle Droid, but this stood out like a sore thumb. Why even bother to offer him, if he wasn't going to have a removable helmet. That's the whole point of the darn figure! That's just stupid. Glad he has no chance of winning.

The Tonnika thing isn't a big surprise, the actresses won't sign their likeness, so there's not going to be a figure.

The Rebel Biker Scout choice is stupid now, what were they going to do if it won, re-release the POTJ Scout Trooper? They made an EU Luke in Elite ST disguise, but they can't follow through with an actual movie figure?

And the clone stuff...that makes me a little mad. Packaging vehicle parts with a figure, especially something as relevant as the gun pods, is unexcusable. We're paying good money for the vehicles...get them right the first time, got it?

And they're going to reuse the Speeder Bike mold for the clone trooper bike. I know it.

Hasbro, you kill me.

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Originally posted by Lord Tenebrous The Tonnika thing isn't a big surprise, the actresses won't sign their likeness, so there's not going to be a figure.
The Rebel Biker Scout choice is stupid now, what were they going to do if it won, re-release the POTJ Scout Trooper? They made an EU Luke in Elite ST disguise, but they can't follow through with an actual movie figure?
And the clone stuff...that makes me a little mad. Packaging vehicle parts with a figure, especially something as relevant as the gun pods, is unexcusable. We're paying good money for the vehicles...get them right the first time, got it?
And they're going to reuse the Speeder Bike mold for the clone trooper bike. I know it.
Hasbro, you kill me.

I guess either Hasbro is going to do interchangable heads, or they are just gonna sculpt him with his helmet off. Either way, lame figure if it doesn't have a removable helmet. Again, like I said before...so glad he doesn't have a snowballs chance on Tatooine.

I don't mind seeing them packing the gun pods in with the Yellow CloneTroopers. The Rebublic Gunship has 2 pilot spaces, so if you wanted to get pilots for it, you would need 2 of them anyway.

From what I heard about the CloneTrooper w/ Speeder Bike is that it would be a new mold, or atleast retooled from the old one. So that will be good. Hopefully the CloneTrooper that comes with it isn't as bad as the POTF2 Biker Scout.